Get a promotion. Drink less alcohol. Drink more alcohol 😉. Take up a new sport/hobby. Stop spending so much.
Yikes. After spending most of December enjoying the festive season, January suddenly rolls round with a stark reminder that it’s time to kick into action, make a change and work on some self-improvement.
If you’re a periodic planner, your New Year’s resolutions have probably been neatly planned out from the moment the clock struck 2023. But if you operate a little less linear, the #newyearnewyou mantra is probably starting to get on your nerves.
The thing about goals is, it’s not really about the goal you’re setting, it’s about the pathway you’re going to carve out in order to achieve it. Author of Atomic Habits and self-improvement guru James Clear called this a system. He realised his results had little to do with the goals he set, and everything to do with the system that he followed.
He gives this example “If you’re a musician, your goal might be to play a new piece. Your system is how often you practice, how you break down and tackle difficult measures, and your method for receiving feedback from your instructor.”
Well said, we reckon.
The same can be said when it comes to work. If you haven’t met your target or objective for the year, instead of focusing on the negatives try to focus on the system you had in place to achieve it. What do you need to adjust for next time to ensure you reach your target? Alternatively, if things went well, what about that system was essential to your success? Replicate the good and learn from the not-so-good to create your system for 2023.
Self-development isn’t just about ticking a box for completion; it’s about recognising that something isn’t right and developing a system for change. No matter what time of the year.
#newyearsresolutions #selfgrowth #development #atomichabits
